These three potent words are found in Colossians 3:15. They speak to us of—
ing his hymn of thanksgiving. What an inspiring individual he! But now consider— The Imperative “ Be ye thankful!” That is imperative. Mohammed claimed that he was transported to heaven once where he saw a gigantic angel. This angel had 70,000 heads; each head had 70.000 faces; each face had 70,000 mouths; each mouth had 70.000 tongues; each tongue spoke 70,000 languages—and all were employed in singing praises unto God. I think the prophet of Islam did not intend this story to be taken liter ally, but that he meant thereby to symbolize the spirit of praise which possessed innumerable inhabitants of heaven. It brings to mind Wesley’s hymn: But the imperative appeal is for us to be thankful as Christians in all things. Thankfulness —& duty and a delight —is given much attention in the Bible. How sad it is that so many lives are unscriptural at this point. Thankfulness— a consummating grace, the crown of graces, is a completion of character. Without gratitude we miss life’s central melody, and we become grave diggers of spiritual optimism. To have spiritual joy without murmuring, we must give obedience to this command and be instant and constant in giving thanks to God. To be disobedient to this imperative is to be unscrip tural, and to be unscriptural is an offense to God. But think of— T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer’ s praise — The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace.
The Individual T HESE words came from the Apostle Paul, who stormed the capitals of proud empires in the name of Jesus, who compassed the earth with the truths of redemp tion, who left a trail of glory across the Gentile world. When this intense individual greatly believed, he was greatly saved. Greatly saved, he greatly served. He was in peril of his life in Damascus, coldly suspected by his fellow-believers in Jeru salem, persecuted in Antioch, stoned in Lystra, assaulted in Iconium, beaten with many stripes and imprisoned in Philippi, attacked by a lewd and envious crowd in Thessalonica, pur sued by callous enmity in Berea, despised in Athens, blas phemed in Corinth, exposed to the fierce wrath -of the Ephe sians, bound with chains and sent as a prisoner to Rome. Yet at all times, in all places, in all things, Paul gave thanks, con tinuing in prayer with thanksgiving, being “ careful for noth ing . . . but with thanksgiving” making his requests known unto God—abounding in gratitude. Perpetual, not spasmodic, was his thanksgiving; Though he was “ in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of his own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilder ness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness, painfulness, hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness,” he was always abounding in thanksgiving. Though he was in prison without his freedom, in winter without an overcoat, in court and before magistrates without a friend, in poverty without help, a wanderer without a home, he was ever sing- Page Six
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